Maria and the Nexus

Maria made her way across the Phoenix Transport Center carrying her unisuit in her carry bag. The bag was a smaller travel version of the mylar long term bag her mother had bought for her.

The transport center guidance system confused her since the frequency of the individual messages preprogrammed for her arrival seemed to skip around, fading in and out on her ear transplant. She dismissed it as sloth on the part of the Transport Center messaging workers.

She did understand that she was to take the Nordus Line and exit the carrier at her hotel on the 7^th exit platform. From there she was to take the vertical transport to the lobby of the Nordus Center and she would be shown her room by the autovalet.

Her shoes were still squeaking on the floor and this added to the confusion in her ear.

“Excuse me Maria”, the voice interrupted Maria’s thoughts and as she turned she saw that the man calling after her appeared to be around her age of 30 years.

“Maria, as you can see my name is Marcus and I was observing you from quite a distance, but I have been walking very quickly to catch up.”

Maria recognized him from the Seattle transit way. She had seen him enter individual compartment 377 but she had not seen him exit the rotational platform.

“Very nice to meet you Marcus, are you wanting to trade union codes or something?”

“Well, yes”, said Marcus suddenly feeling a little embarrassed that he had chased Maria across the Center. He was also a little startled by Maria’s straightforwardness. “I just think you are very lovely and we are well sized for one another, but if you don’t want to trade then I understand.”

Maria had been looking forward to reaching her room, entering the union nexus and using her presets to make love with Franklin. His code was good for another eight months, but on the other hand, Marcus offered an interesting and new option.

While she was thinking these things Maria was also scanning Marcus thoroughly. Light brown hair with blue highlights, intelligent green eyes, solid muscle tone, chest hair that ran into a straight line of finer hair that merged with his pubic area in a pleasing way; adorable polyfin ‘Lincoln’ slippers on his feet. He had the self confidence and bearing of a fellow professional.

Maria thought for the quickest of seconds and said “Well Marcus, I have at least three more code swaps available this year, so why not?”

Maria fished in her bag for her union dock. By the time she had found it, Marcus was proudly holding his out for her. Marcus and Maria plugged the socketed ends together, and pressed their individual buttons.

As Maria entered the hotel room at the Nordus Center she was immediately pleased with the arrangements. The layout was comfortable and very acceptable to her. The anti-gravity resting center had several levels of adjustment and the union nexus was practically new.

Maria went into the bath area and freshened herself. She was grateful that she had taken a full day of nutrition in Seattle and wouldn't need more until tomorrow. She wanted to go straight to the union nexus and enjoy herself, but she also wanted to be fresh for Marcus; it was the simple respect she felt everyone should practice.

Laying inside the nexus Maria placed her union dock into the control socket, rotated the dial to Marcus's code and lowered the activation toggle.

When her time in the nexus had ended, Maria was pleased and even satisfied, but somehow Franklin just couldn’t be replaced. Marcus had an odd quirk or two, but maybe she could adjust to them. She prayed Franklin would be available to trade codes with her the next time she was in Savannah.

copyright 2005